The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-01
AGHASILY DISCOVERY.
SIXTY HUMAN SKELETONS UN.
EARTHED
BY q Party Of Explorers, Prove 10 be
Victims 0fthe Murderous
Inskeepers
ON THE OLD KENTUCKY STOCK
ROAD LEADING SOUTH.
Revival Of the Stories Of the HeInous
Crimes Committed by Mur.
relrs Gang.
Especial TO TIE AprrAL,I

Co0KKvILLK, TKHN., June 20.-Be-
fore the war for seventy.fve Year, q
road, within three miller OF this pace,
l,ading from Louisville, KY, through
this State down into Georgia aud South
Carolins, was known O. the Kentucky
stock road and was at that time the
principal highway for traders between
the two sections. Planters, slave deal.
ers and stockmen would drive their
negroes, mules, etc., down to the
Southern market, returning with
money from the tales. Such parties
were frequently missing very myster-
ously, no trace OF them ever being
found. The road through this section
ran through q wild, thinly settled,
mountainous country. The stopping
places or dwellings where q traveller
could get shelter frequently being
thirty or forty miles apart, and az
recent Investigations show, were kept
by robbers and murderer5 OF the worst
dc scription, who for years followed
this bueinees Of wholpEale robbery and
murder. About thirty yeaiJ ago a
man who Is now citizen Of this place
found q skeleton at the entrance to q
cave, but no further invc stigation was
made till yesterday, and 1t wal left for
a stranger to make discoveries that
cast In the shade oil stories Of like de-
scription where the writer finds bis
terrible characters in his brain. Yes
terday q party was organic d under
the leadership OF Mr.. Ferd Kincaid,
to explore the cave where The skeleton
was found thirty y'ars ego.
Back on the mountain side, about
half mile from one OF the notorious
stoppiGg pla aces described, the entrance
10 the cave was formed hole some.
thing like q well, going straight down
Thirty 6vs feet was first passed through
and then the cave opened into large
csverns with downward course under
the mountain. At the bottom OF the
shaft the party found human bones,
and With little digging In the debris
that had accumulated at this point,
unear he'd about sixty skeletons Of
men who had been murdered and
thrown down this hole. Some skulls
were found with bullet holes through
them, others being mashed In with an
AZ or an instrument OF that kind. Old
citizens now living In this vicinity say
that the keepers OF these dens would
keep track OF the travellers when they
passed through with stock, and on
their return would be almost certain
to disappear. The robbers were ever
30 bold. They would take the clothing,
saddles and horses OF their victims and
use them publicly. They would get
man drunk II possible. and ss
whisky was plenty and the Gus
tom OF drinking common, II was
no hard matter to do then
In their drunken stupor, kill, rob and
throw their bodies In this hole. With
out doubt, many men 90 this fearful
disclosure provee, never returned TO
their homes, and anxious friends wait
ed aud watched and wondered why
they returned not.
Not far from here, by the side Of
this road, stands q house, Dhau1ualia
OF one room are claim
with human bh
the monnta
this. =
WOW tick'
r. Ittig, !.
much tx
I'D many de.
gang are still
18 country. But
hlts, and the hisio y
hines will never bt